The Darth Annis Stories Part 1
by Bahamut12
Summary: Here we go! She has aged slightly from her upbringing in the Korriban academy, a powerful, ruthless Sith apprentice and yet find herself mysteriously aided on the forests of Endor. A threatening scar has appeared and her master questions her why? Will she drown in her uncontrollable emotions or trust in her Master? Also to treasure a dark artifact that goes deeper than the Sith.


**Through the eyes of a Sith: Darth Annis **

**These are a set of mini stories about my Sith character and her life in the galaxy. There are 15 stories in all and tell the painful, yet thrilling and beautiful tale of her life as one of the galaxies most feared Sith Lords. **

**(Darth Annis' Home world is the Planet of Dankayo) **

**Story**

The shattering morning chorus of the gentle, floating winged animals of the sky awoke her from her deep slumber. Uncertain of her bearings and grimacing in pain she propped herself up on both her elbows and sniffed the air, blinking and shaking her head as the strong stench of acrid wood burning, reached her keen senses. Strands of her lengthy ebony hair fell over her drooping shoulders as her spine curled upwards in a rising motion. She lowered her gaze to spy a silver item on the floor, one that looked exactly like hers. Grunting in pain she pulled herself over to the item and took it in her right hand marred with dirt and blood. Her elegant fingers smoothed its surface as she examined it yet something felt different, something didn't feel right. The mortal injury that she had been carrying on her side for months was not paining her when she moved; it was not causing her to grit her teeth to stop lips from issuing a whimper of discomfort. Reaching inside the folds of her black robes tinted with hints of purple her hand clasped pure, healed flesh! Not infected, scarred or bloodied flesh but healed from ribcage to hip, her hand trembling as she smoothed her side where the grievous injury used to be. Feeling the dark side heighten her senses, rushing through her veins like a sudden injection of adrenaline she rose gingerly to her feet, her black Sith robes flowing over her well-built yet shapely feminine figure. Again the young female sith inserted her hand in the folds of her thick robes and felt a line, a possible scar where the wound had been now completely clean and void of any infection with clean dressing covering the scar to prevent anymore possible loss of blood. She stretched out with the far reaches of her mind, sending tendrils of the dark side rushing through her brain to search for any signs of life. There were none. Stunned and furious at the thought of being aided she stormed through the low hanging canopies of the Endor forest, trying to bring the familiar bearing back to her. Blinded by anger the sith lord continued her tirade as she failed to notice the dogged amass of tree roots and tangled vines underfoot as she snagged her ankle under a torn up tree root and stumbled, as she landed chest first into the earth, tasting the tang of blood in her mouth as she seethed. Her own consciousness twitched as her mind attuned in perfect harmony with the eddies and currents of the dark side searched for any signs of life. Defiantly she pulled herself aloft breathing out slowly to numb the pain flaring in her right ankle, projecting red life flow from her mouth as she shook her head and slammed the nearest tree with her closed fist causing a rupture in its bark where the powerful sith had landed the blow. A sudden disturbance in the dark side and she could sense it immediately as she whipped out her twin red lightsabers, spinning them over and over in her deadly attacking grip blood still trickling from her jaw. Treading carefully and paying extra care when taking her steps, the pain still lingering in her ankle still prominent; she cocked her head sharply to the right when suddenly a presence surrounded the young sith lord which made her almost wretch with disgust and loathing. Her suspicions where confirmed when a warm sensation reached her shoulder and that was all the sith lord needed to be sure. Without even turning to face her company she viciously snapped her elbow into contact with the stranger's face as she skilfully took his legs out from underneath him with the blunt end of her sabres before he could defend himself. Before the stranger known that he had approached her was lying, winded and choking on his own blood, blinking confused in the midst of her terrifying shadow her powerful figure intimidating his slender body by all accounts. She loomed above him, her powerful , yet graceful stance immediately inciting fear. The young female clad in black spoke, her voice almost as if it came from the depths of pain and suffering itself as she put her question to him. Raspy and deep in tone her voice reached his ears in seconds and he knew her question could not be ignored, he however was convulsing in shock and terror.

"State your name" said the Sith lord her voice bordering on a threatening growl as the words seem to come deep from within her powerful gut, not her throat. She pointed one of her deadly red humming blades of death at his chest. The flustered human answered quickly as he knew this woman was a vicious customer in the ways of combat and thought it wise not to challenge her prowess.

"Alric…" the young human managed to get out as fear gripped his mind in the presence of her powerful being. Her topaz coloured eyes squinted in fury inside the depths of shadows provided by her hood as she shook her head lightly and rasped at him, her voice again a low and territorial feminine growl.

"Alric who?" the Sith lord pressed again, her tone full of bitterness and malice dripping off every syllable of her darkened vocal pitch. It took a while for the young human to respond but yet again he felt the need to supply her with the information that she needed.

"Selon…" finished the male human in fright as she look up at her towering figure watching her as she deactivated her humming lightsaber blades and slowly removed the cowl of her flowing sith robes from her head. As the young human looked up his breath hitched inside his convulsing lungs as the hood slunk back onto her slender, shapely shoulders and a face of youth and unfathomable beauty met his eyes. Her black hair the colouration of ebony was entrapped in a red ribbon which banded strands of her hair together, while other parts of her hair flowed and twisted. The sith's skin was pale to the point where she looked incredibly ill, but his eyes widened as his gazed moved to her neck where a hideous flesh covered line marred the beauty of her swan like neck. A scar that shocked and stunned, yet in morbid fascination added to her beauty, contributed to her pain and suffering, a mark of a truly gory ordeal which she survived. He had yet to look her in the eyes but his heart leapt with fright when she made eye contact with him as he gazed in horror at the colour of her eyes. A deep sulphuric amber, burning with hatred and lust for power in their depths as there was only one type of galactic being who possessed eyes of that colouration, the name the Jedi dare not even whisper; the Sith.

"So…Alric Selon" sighed the Sith lord her voice rasping in his ears as she spoke, her tone raw with suffering grating on his hearing "What's a specimen like you doing out in these lonely parts of the galaxy?" she asked a little more timid this time her voice eating at his brain like a sharp projectile being driven into his skull and being twisted inside his flesh. Now knowing the identity of her being he reached inside his peach coloured tunic for the handle of his lightsaber but her eyes flashed at him and he found his hand stuck to his side, as the Sith lord had bound his hand in a powerful force hold. "I said what are you doing here?" she repeated her tone like an irritating icy thorn being dragged down his cheek as his other hand went for his lightsaber but again his hand was frozen as she held both his hands by his side. Frantically he tried to use his connection to the force to free his hold from her but her powers where far greater than his and he could nothing but struggle as her eyes leered into his, her beauty derailing his focus as he believed it was not right for the Sith to be able to possess such natural beauty but she was a human after all. The young Sith finally lost her temper as the snapping of bones were soon audible to her ears as she tortured the insolent human with her almighty powers of the dark side. His ribs began to rupture and he began to writhe in pain begging her to stop as she just stared at him, her deadly and malevolent powers doing their damage. As his screams of pain reached her ears she smirked as his suffering continued. Yet as she rose an elegant hand to deliver a bolt of force lightning into his heart a horrible sight caught her eyes and one she hadn't hoped to see now. Blood as clear as day running from her forehead which clearly had no cuts, blood seeping through her skin and down her face as the disease that had been with her all her life was attacking her. She almost completely forgot about the young male writhing in agony on the forest floor, not coming after her but wailing in agony as her attack on his physical body with the force had been more than brutal. She now didn't care if he hadn't answered her questions, she just had to get away from here, had to find the one person who could help her. Placing a hand to her forehead, blood seeping through her slender fingers and drying under her nails, she stumbled through the forest of Endor, her hood still hanging on her shoulders while her robes marred with dirt and a small amount of blood. Suddenly her heart pounded furiously in almost a stroke of relief as she saw two men familiar to her dressed in red and knowing they were looking for her. She felt a familiar presence and knew she was saved as she rushed up to the red guards and knew he was nearby.

"Lord Annis" one of them said relief taking over his tone as they hadn't had to search the forest too deep where more powerful creatures lay.

"Where is he?" asked the young female Sith blood streaming down her arms and head as she wanted to stop the bleeding herself but it was futile, for she needed the powerful expertise of her master to stop the deadly illness from running its course.

"Get medical now!" the guard roared to his accomplice and he nodded as he rushed on his heels back to the shuttle "Lord Annis is hurt."

"Where is he?!" she roared impatiently furious as these imbociles hadn't the faintest idea of the illness that was ingrained in her system and was being allowed to flourish. She stormed away from the naïve, idiotic guards as their mindless brains would only heighten her frustration as she wound down the forest path, her black robes flailing violently along the ground kicking up dust in her wake.

"Lord Annis where are you…?" began one of the guards but she ignored them storming forwards, blood completely covering her hands when the crashed into an unyielding objected. Stunned and injured she looked through her bloodied hands at what had blocked her way. She just looked at the figure, amber eyes filled with no expression before without warning she collapsed into him, her face streaming with blood hitting a black robed wall of strength as she fell into unconsciousness. With the effortlessness physical strength he possessed he carried her in his arms, urgency about his purposeful stride as the only source of her safety carried her home.

**500 Republica; Day **

Four hours after her bruising brush with death from illness, the powerful female sith was perched on the edge of her seat as she looked down at the sleeves of new robes she'd never seen before, no blood, not a sign of earth from the Endor forest, just clean cut lines and beautiful flowing black material. She shook her head and rose her hand to touch her injury but instead a bandage was wrapped tightly around her forehead, soaked in blood but nonetheless the bleeding had ceased for the time being as the pain gripped her skull. Feeling slightly nauseous she gazed at the room around her, all seeming familiar to her when she glanced to her right and her amber eyes fell upon a steaming mug of herbal tea which had been left for her. Wondering what was happening she took the warm white mug of soothing liquid in her slender hands and pressed her spine against the chair her mind wondering to the events of the other day. He'd saved her again. She just knew it and as much as the young female sith hated to admit it she knew she couldn't live without his abilities to cure her life threatening illness in its early stages. The beautiful sunshine of the morning burnt her light sensitive eyes as she felt for the cowl at the back of the robe and found it quickly, drawing it up over her face without a second thought. Not realising the heat that was rising from the cup she was holding she took a delicate sip yet was unprepared for how hot the liquid was and scorched her lips as in shock she jolted and the cup fell out of her hands, smashing to the floor as it did so. Cursing under her breath, her new robes already covered in blotches of boiling water she breathed deeply to numb the pain as she did so then set about picking up the pieces of broken Sullistian porcelain from the red carpet floor until and familiar voice behind her made her glance up quickly and she broke into an apologetic rant afraid that he was going to snap at her for her foolishness.

"Forgive me. I didn't mean to…well I didn't realise…" the young Sith tried to form a sentence but her tongue was still tied up with the pain from being burnt and she was nervous, her young mind tending to wonder and think other thoughts besides obeying her master which she did without question. She would quickly give her life for him and die for him without question for she owed him everything. He swept past her not even to heed her presence as the hem of his black robes brushed past her hand before he stood still his hands clasped together behind his back, a look of sternness yet subtle confusion upon his pale features.

"Apology not needed my young apprentice" stated the dark lord in a tone of lateral boredom as he waved a hand to dismiss her apologies as he turned to face her but by this point she was pummelling the floor viciously with clutched fists blood streaming from her hands as she punctured her nails into the palms of her hands. Familiar with her emotional and erratic behaviour he approached her but she didn't move away, still kneeling on the floor shouting one name with loathing over and over again.

"I hate you Mace Windu! Do you hear me Mace?! I hate you!" she roared definitely as she pushed herself up from the floor and shook her head viciously to get the terrible image out of her head, the Jedi master's hands reaching for her throat, his hands sinking in her neck trying to find her vocal chords and tear them apart. "Help me!" she rasped in her chest, panicking the image wouldn't go away as she flung herself at her master and grabbing hold of him, shock and anger riddled in his narrowing eyes as he stood there and said nothing but just let the confused sith wail, shriek and curse until her voice was nothing but a choked whisper. "It's gone…" she confessed the haunting, terrifying image left her mind and she took a step backwards for fear she had greatly offended her master but he spoke to her like he would normally, his tone not marred with anger or annoyance of any kind, just a hint of concernment.

"How often do these images come to you Lord Annis?" asked the dark lord curiously as he wondered away from her and gazed at the bustling scene of the streets below, knowing he was the only one she would trust with her darkest secrets. She rose to her feet shaking from shock her robes trailing along behind her as she walked gingerly across the room and stood by his side, the two powerful sith lords looking down at the busy streets below them.

"It happened a fortnight ago master and now again this very moment. I want to be able to control it…" croaked Annis weakly as she didn't want to make her situation more complicated than it already was but changing the subject he regarded her dress protocol and nodded stiffly as he once again regarded the outside world instead of her.

"I see you are wearing the new robes I purchased for you. They fit you well. I am pleased" commented the dark lord briskly as he had more pressing issues he wished to discuss with her but she just stared at him, golden eyes widening slightly. She bought these for her? He didn't care about her whether she was bleeding or dying, coming or going, dead or alive. Or did he? She wondered deeply her young mind filling with the powers she possessed with the dark side when he swept past her away from the window and scooped up a mug of tea that she hadn't seen before on the table before speaking to her. After he'd taken a sip he was about to address her but she irrupted him another question pressing in on her curious mind.

"Master how did it not burn you?" she asked her voice yet again a growl but he heard her all the same and the corners of his mouth trembled slightly. This was the closest the dark lord ever came to smiling. His yellow eyes shimmered at her as he knew she was nervous just by her disposition but he didn't ignore her question, she was curious to know traditional sith substances and that was something he always encouraged.

"Paliche herbal tea my apprentice and not for the faint hearted, yet it steadies the flow of blood and is said to slow the heart rate. It numbed the pain didn't it Lord Annis?" he asked knowing the answer as he cupped the steaming cup in his hands waiting for her predictable answer. She lowered her head and placed her hands in her lap the long flowing sleeves of her black robes falling over her fingers.

"Yes master I admit it helps…" she growled as he stormed up to her suddenly and snatched her hands scolding her at the vicious little nicks on her palms. He shook his head and scowled tracing his index finger over her palms whispering two unfamiliar words repeatedly then she gazed down at her hands. The miniature scars had disappeared and she stared at him eyes wide not believing what his cold and merciless heart had done for her and yet her heart sunk.

"Don't think I'll lend you my powers Annis. You must learn for yourself" he snarled in a disappointed manner at her as he swept away from her and decided to question where she had been for the last five days and at the mention of the matter she immediately went on the defensive. She was still in a trance looking at the little scars where her flesh had mended over and she gazed at him in wonderment then her expression melded into one of seriousness. "Learn to stem your emotions my apprentice. It could lead you to a different place beyond that of the physical plane."

"No it won't" muttered the stubborn Sith lord under her breath the sleeves of her robes still flowed her elegant hands as he turned to face her fury blazing in his eyes of sulphuric yellow. She tried to get another word to leave her mouth but before she could muster another sentence her whole right hand erupted into agony as she immediately clutched at it and gritted her teeth trying to stem the flow of never ending pain but her powers with the dark side wouldn't tame the power he had over her. She shrieked at him, knowing what pain he was trying to cause her and this was no different. He would have to do better than that to phase her physical will power and strength. Her eyes streaming with tears she wrenched at her hand and pulled out strands of her long black hair as she screamed with power, all the raw power and pain she possessed came from the very heart of her being, in her gut filled with agony. "You think the pain you caused me is different from the pain Windu caused me!" she bellowed wrenching open the robing around her neck the entire ugly and brutal looking scar now fully exposed as her right hand still flared in agony as she clutched at it begging to be released from her torture. Suddenly the pain stopped as quickly as it had come and she winced and looked at her unmolested limb which felt as though a million needles had been plunged through her skin. Seething in anger the dark lord whipped around to face her having released her limb from agony when he suddenly glimpsed at the scar which ran from her chin down her throat and towards her shoulder. Having heard the rumours of her wound before but never believing her he finally got to see that painful mark of hurt with his own eyes and truly upon any sith it was a beautiful sight. The one sith who was born from pain and suffering and she was his apprentice, his to command and his to tutor in the ways of the darkside. Her pain fuelled her potential, her passion and her rage all housed together in that young, beautiful form all deceptively dark and twisted to do his bidding.

"Treacherous, misguided Jedi" spoke the dark lord his tone dripping with disgust as he shook his head in annoyance placing a cold finger on her neck scarred for life; she flinched. "Done by human nails if I'm right? A vicious attack. You were powerful yet brave to survive it. May I?" asked her master smoothly as she knew what he wanted to do. Get to the heart of the injury, know what had happened that night between her and that treacherous Jedi master Mace Windu. Annis nodded timidly, flinching again as his cold fingers worked their way down the length of the scar on her neck, his powerful figure shadowing her as he continued his exploration of the wound. She felt his fingers tracing the scar until it became fainter and fainter, until all that was left was the normal skin beneath her shoulder. "Your wound is one of a kind Annis. I can see why you don't display it however I would advise you keep this quiet."

"The Jedi would never understand. They never have. They never understood me and they underestimated me. That was their last mistake" snarled Annis within the bowels of her throat as she assumed her master had heard that comment as he nodded briefly before trailing his fingers to her mid throat and gazed at the line of dried red blood that looked as though it had almost been cut into her neck. "They couldn't stand the way I talked of the sith as if they were my only hope so Mace attempted to remove my voice. I would hope know you come to believe me. My lies of weakness as you so rightly called them I believe" said the young sith apprentice as she remembered what her master had said to her the night she'd revealed her latest scrap with the Jedi.

"Believing is one thing my apprentice seeing is another. What is it you want? Sympathy from the Jedi or guidance from me. You're nothing but a liar Annis!" his cruel words that evening circled around her brain like an eagle surrounding its pray from the skies until her master's raspy voice filled the silence, his tone tinged with the wisdom of the dark ages speaking to her like brittle paper crackling.

"You've been hiding it from me. Why?!" he snapped fiercely as he removed his hands from her neck, something about the wound obviously unsettling the dark lord. He swept around the room, his thick robes of mars black flowing around him, an ebony malevolent bat. Annis just shook her head from side to side as she gazed at the floor her breath rasping in her lungs. Realising he'd discovered the truth, knew that he'd found out her deepest secret the one true thing she'd vowed to keep to herself, but allowing him to get close to her and to inspect her wound had bought the true situation to light. Annis tried to find the courage to look at him but downcast her beautiful topaz coloured eyes to the ground trying to deny the obvious fact that he knew but it was too late.

"There's a reason why I let you get away with attempts for sympathy like that apprentice. I know how you play people's minds. How you use them for your own ends. How eventually you'll grow so powerful you'll destroy everyone around you…" hissed the dark lord quietly as he moved towards her both his slender hands clenched into fists of rage. She lifted her head to gaze into the depths of his yellow eyes and shook her head vigorously knowing that her plan had been exposed and the only thing left to do now was show her true loyalty and devotion to him so she could develop her training, not have her life be ended as quickly as it began.

"No I never…" she began as he leant in close to her his hand reaching out for her slender throat but instead was held back as she instigated a force hold on his arm.

"If I wasn't in a chipper mood my apprentice you wouldn't have to worry about a Jedi ripping out your vocal chords as I could've done it easily myself. Just because you are my apprentice and I vow to teach your our ways it doesn't mean that you are of any value to me!" he snarled viciously at her as he wrenched his hand from her force grip and stormed towards the entrance hall leaving a shocked and flustered sith lord behind in his wake as she marched from her seat and stormed after him, her thick black robes billowing behind her. She flipped up her hood as she stormed in a flurry of anger and halted his progress stopping dead in front of him, ringlets of her long black hanging out from the head of her robe as she glowered at him.

"Explain this master! If I wasn't of any value why don't you just let me die of this disgusting disease!" she screamed fiercely as he merely glared at her from inside the shadows of his cowl and brushed past her anger coursing through his veins fuelling the dark side within him as he strode away from her. Yet the determined and furious sith lord caught up with him again and this time her tone was more a raw, raspy whine of pain, more like a persistent beg as though she longed for an answer. "Why?! You've had your chances to get rid of me and you still consider me your pupil. The only one capable of…" she had no time to finish her words when a powerful shock wave of energy erupted from the floor sending her crushing against the wall, knocking the breath from her lungs and interrupting her flow of breath. Having gotten rid of her he continued to stride away from her not giving a backwards glance to his injured apprentice when sudden shrieks and cries for "medical!" reverberated around the stone arches Annis extracted her hand from within her robes and the tips of her fingers dripped with blood. Feeling faint and nauseous the young sith woman tried to find the source of the bleeding and clasped at her hip where a fresh patch of blood began to appear, the illness seeming to worsen as the minutes went by but the horror to her was when she tried to use her legs it was too agonising for her even to stand. She began to slip into unconsciousness until she felt a familiar presence near her cries of "help her!" ringing in her ears. Did they even know who she was. She was no Jedi?! No saviour to them. They were saving a Sith lord. Just before her eyes closed she felt a powerful heartbeat drum in her ear as she felt her spine being lifted from the wall and drifting with a strong support underneath her backbone.

"I cannot cure your disease Annis but I can prevent it and you are important to the sith, to our legacy and you will tell me all you've been keeping from me so you have no more secrets to hide from me" snarled the dark lord within the bowels of his throat as he needed to get to a place where he could stop her bleeding with agile precision, otherwise the disease would spread and if the bleeding wasn't stopped she would lose all her blood from the inside out.

"Master…" croaked Annis weakly as she knew it was him as his comforting darkened presence was surrounding her but he didn't have time to listen to her weakened words. Her life was in his hands and he would be the one to safe it. His own heart pounded slightly as he remembered what his own master told him in curing these life threatening diseases. He remembered the techniques and healing processes, they just took time and precision to take effect. He felt her becoming weaker and weaker with the more blood she was losing, time was against him as she slipped in and out of consciousness the sights and sounds of the world around her vanishing in several blurs and murmurs of which she could not comprehend. The light around her was fading, drifting ever further away until all she could see was the underside of the eyelids and she went limp in her master's hold.

**Healing Ward 1: Night **

A small wave of pain shot through her hip as her hand rested on where the wound had been but yet again the blood had disappeared and her master had saved her life. Something shimmered in the dim light above her head, a muti coloured glow which shone with a stunning lustre. She glanced around to see an empty chair which was piled with fresh, new looking robes which looked as though they belonged to the wealthy and a box where the glimmer was coming from. She wanted to investigate but the young Sith woman lowered her head, her limbs almost to strained to fight the pain as a creaking sound made her turn her astute gaze towards the door as another female stepped through the door carrying a porcelain jug coloured a beautiful shade of cobalt blue as she bustled about the room she poured some of the liquid from the jug into a small shapely cup on the table beside the young Sith. Annis suddenly became wary and glared at the substance suspiciously as she sat up her elegant spine arching like a feline stretching its back muscles before she stared at the steaming substance before her and wondered for some strange reason if it was poisoned.

"Lord Annis" said the woman in respect bowing hurriedly as she rushed to her side and picked up the hot cup in her hands and attempted to give it to her but the suspicious Sith didn't retrieve it. Annis' golden eyes narrow dangerously as she flicked a stray lock of her black hair behind her shapely shoulders running a finger along the brutal scar on her neck as she did so. "You must drink this. Your master commands I give it to you. You must consume it for your own health Lord Annis" she said in concern as she held it out to her expecting her this time to cooperate yet again Annis refused to be fooled. Something wasn't right here. Why would her master try and take away her pain when he knew pain made her stronger and would make her suffer. Shaking her head she held up one of her slender hands and lifted the cup into the air with the force. The woman shocked and stunned stared up at the elevating cup in mid-air gazing at the floating object in awe.

"I will drink it later. Now leave me" sighed the Sith woman shaking her head again so that waves of her long ebony hair cascaded over her shoulders but the woman persisted as it was only for her health and she was only obeying the dark lord's orders for she didn't want to die by his hand.

"Lord Annis I beg of you too…" she began but another figure entered the room and she immediately backed away from the cold yet beautiful Annis as she bowed quickly before the black robed figure before swiftly taking her leave, winding down the lengthy corridors hoping only for the young woman's health to return.

"Master" said Annis slowly as she wondered why he'd came to see her but he took the cup that was still scorching in temperature and scowled at her. He frowned at the perplexed expression on her face as he saw she was sitting in an apprehensive position as though she failed to trust anyone. She seemed nervous as she ran a quivering finger up and down the ugly scar on her neck as she looked at him.

"Being stubborn again I presume" said the dark lord coldly as he gazed at the marks on his slender hands for every time he saved her from the effects of her disease it caused a small scar, the dark side marking its users who drew from the side of its healing powers.

"It's poisoned" stuttered Annis scowling her raw vocals not producing much sound but he heard her and filled his mouth with the liquid before her and swallowed looking into her eyes with a bemused expression, his eyes of acidic yellow squinting at her profusely.

"Don't be so suspicious of me my apprentice. It could be the last thought you ever think now come here" he ordered his tone surprisingly quiet and gentle as she moved towards him and he gestured to the pile of neatly pressed black robes in front of her. "Choose whichever ones you desire. I am in no need of them." The flustered Sith lord bowed before her master confused yet nevertheless grateful from the lend of some spare robes since all her others were covered in blood. "This however is more the reason why I needed to see you" stated the dark lord as he lifted something out of his pocket and she squinted at it as he uncoiled his fingers to show her the object.

"A necklace" she gasped in awe as her love of shiny materials showed in her amber eyes as they sparkled like the beautiful green gem stone sparkling in the gold chain which held the gem firmly with two golden eagle claws.

"No a pendant. It's not a gift Lord Annis. It's so I can keep watch of you wherever you go and so that I can trust you. You swore when you became my apprentice to be loyal to me and I trust you but this is a warning that I will be watching you if need be. You will not fail me again." growled the dark lord as he slipped the emerald around her neck and clipped the small buckle together with his slender hands. Moments of silence passed before he again spoke to her, this time his voice more inquisitive and she shrunk back at the nature of his question. Why did he want to know about that? She'd already told him and vowed never to relive the event she called "The Nightmare."

"I've already told you" spoke the young sith woman simply but she felt a sharp pain flare inside her neck as he dug his sharp, lengthy nails into the flesh on the back of her neck causing her pain instantly at the slightest sign of her insolence. He saw her clenching her hands into fists of rage at her sides and smiled as he knew how to force a reaction from her poorly controlled mind. His voice chilled the very innards of her bone marrow as he slyly whispered in her ear, making a rush cold shoot up her spine. His words were so full of murderous intent and malice that she had no choice but to relive that painful memory and how agonising it was going to be. He remained silent and attentive as he listened to her every word, pleasure welling up inside his gut as she revealed her pain to him, revelling in the raw and wrathful tone of her voice as her tone growled into the surroundings around them. Suddenly it happened again, Mace's strong hands going for her throat, his vicious eyes boring into hers attempting to rip her chords from her throat. Shaking her head viciously as her voice tailed away she ripped herself away from him and marched furiously down the corridor almost spitting blood. How dare he make her recall that one event in her life she refused to talk about. He knew what he was doing, knew what he wanted to get out of her, causing her more pain than was humanly possible. Her black robes sweeping behind her with agility that even surprised her as her hands grasped her head, the visions become more reality every second driving her ever closer to insanity. In moments the powerful sith woman was now a crumbling emotional wreck as she slammed her skull into the wall repeatedly trying to get the images out of her head…His hands reaching for her throat, a mute for the rest of her life…With a wail of anguish she slid down the wall her white teeth laced with blood as she choked and spluttered not caring if her master was looking for her or not. She didn't care if he killed her; death was worth what it was than having to endure nearly losing her voice via a treacherous Jedi's hand. Slamming her head repeatedly against the wall she hoped to crush her skull, trying to endure the pain that all Sith are encouraged to embrace. She was about to deliver another blow to her head throbbing with agony when something clutched at her, a familiar presence surrounding her. She whined and wailed as she tried to again cause more pain to herself but someone was stopping her. That voice that sounded in her ears made her heart almost explode in fury as she sensed someone was watching her and she knew who it was. She shrieked at him, her voice consumed with pain and despair.

"I hate you!" roared Annis her blood boiling within her veins as she wheeled to face him, her face pallid white, her hair matted a tasselled like a wild animal, her eyes pulsing with the rich golden colouration that all sith eyes possessed as she stormed towards him her hand raised ready to deliver a bolt of force lightning but he raised a hand effortlessly and stopped her in her tracks. She struggled against his hold, fighting for freedom against his force powers as he continued to hold her there without tiring. His expression made her look weak compared to him as his yellow eyes flickered with spite, letting her know who contained more power. His voice made her flinch as it contained the cruellest of undertones which almost made her blood freeze in her veins.

"I know you do. Finally you show promise Annis" he sneered at her as he released her from his force hold but disappeared before her eyes as she spun around furiously trying to sense for his whereabouts but he'd almost cloaked his presence from her thoughts. "Your eyes deceive you my apprentice, use your thoughts and you might stand a chance!" His voice hissed through the walls and reached her hearing as she closed her eyes letting the dark side fuel her rage as she lifted both her hands and let the vision of pain fill her as the walls around her began to crumble, her hands burning like hot coals as the building around her began to erupt into flames. Yet even this wasn't enough as he appeared from behind her and raised his hand. She suddenly felt breathing becoming an effort as she collapsed to the floor before him, clasping her neck in her elegant hands as the force choke became merciless and contained her in a vice. "Impressive Annis, but still not enough. You waste my time. If you cannot defeat me then your whole purpose in life is void. Perhaps I was wrong. I sensed potential in you. I was wrong. You're nothing Annis" he snarled spitefully as he continued to strangle her with the force however his words filled her with a new found strength as she rose to her feet not being able to breathe and lurched forwards gripping his hand and twisting it cruelly in her grip, smirking as a wave of fresh oxygen returned to her lungs. "Maybe you do have some fight in you. I might be prepared to teach you our ways if you prove your strength to me now. Attack my apprentice if you have the strength." He laughed spitefully as she pulled out her twin red lightsabers spinning them over and over in her deadly grasp the hissing and crackling blades creating deadly crimson loops, as her master extracted his own lightsaber from within his sleeve. She launched herself at him furiously her blades spinning like vicious red pendulums of death but he deflected her moves with blinding accuracy and stealth his hand aiming to grab her wrist through a smoothly executed grapple but she smoothly parried his quick moving saber and slammed her sabres into his, her strength now fully returning to her as she could feeling him waning under her power. Advantage was hers until her overconfidence became her loss as he quickly disarmed her with an upper cutting swiping move and both her sabres were soon clutched in his right hand deactivating his other sabre as he defeated her. "Maybe you are something after all Lord Annis. You shall become powerful and of that I have no doubt. You will learn soon enough how to harness that power and I have the tools to help you." With a look of malice in his eyes he threw back her sabres and flipped his own over and over in his hand scowling profusely as he had to admit she was powerful.

"I have potential?" asked Annis confused as a minute ago he'd said she was nothing yet it seemed as if her recent display of power had given him a slight change of heart.

"More than you know my apprentice" sighed her master in annoyance shaking his head as she knew the answer to that question and just wanted to receive his praise. She had received it but he wanted to make her worth praising. Make her into more than Maul or Tyranus ever were. She looked at him, golden eyes blinking as she heeded his next words. Honouring the praise which he'd paid her yet her palms still scorched from where her deadly powers had been unleashed. "I am prepared to give you one more chance. Take it and fulfil your destiny or refuse and drown to death in your uncontrollable emotions. One more chance Annis, only one then you really will have no one." The dark lord of the sith held out one of his slender hands to her. She paused and looked at him knowing that she had to trust him, the one person whom had looked after her since she was young and treated her differently from those despicable Jedi traitors. She realised all along what she'd wanted and he could give it to her. Ultimate power and the ability to have revenge on those Jedi whom she hated more than any other being, to become one with the dark side of the force and be trained in its unique powers that's what she craved. The young sith apprentice reached up and took her master's hand as he enclosed her hand in his rather sharply, his nails digging into her flesh as he almost dragged her to her feet. Gritting her teeth in pain but used to these sharp sensations she expected him to say something however he strode down the corridor leaving her behind. She immediately caught up to him as the two sith lords walked side by side, master and apprentice, the apprentice trying to mirror her master's stride which emphasised power instantly.

"I trust you are ready for what is to come my young apprentice" said the dark lord a subtle tone of happiness crept into his voice. Could he know something she didn't? Was he hiding something for her? Anyway whatever it was she was prepared to do anything for her master; anything to prove her loyalty and power to him. She would willingly sacrifice her life for his existence. Her master's goals were the goals of the Sith and they would be accomplished no matter what was obliged to stand in her way.

"Yes my master" replied Annis quickly as her mind seemed to wonder as to what was ahead but listening to the instructions of her master should be all that concerned her. He really did believe in her and that's all she'd wanted. Somebody to believe in her strength and nature and train it so that one day it would be unleashed and she would become power itself. The merciless slaughter of the remaining Jedi had shown him just how much she was capable of but if she was able to truly unleash her power he feared he may not be able to control her. Surely one day she would surpass him but he wouldn't allow that to happen for as long as he drew breath as the dark lord sought to prolong his own life with the knowledge he possessed in the dark side.

"You don't know what I ask of you Annis do you?" he almost spoke to himself as he drifted down the corridor with his apprentice still following calmly, yet eagerly by his side. Feeling slightly nervous she cleared her throat and almost spoke her thoughts aloud but she knew she'd have to be stronger than she'd ever been before if she was to impress him. "You will learn to master the dark side as I have learnt to master it but it cannot be done here. It must be done in a place where your spirit can be tested, where your instincts take over, where your power is unleashed. If you last without supplements and sleep for many days I may be inclined to teach you."

"How long will it take for me to learn master?" asked Annis eagerly as she seemed to have forgot the brutality with which her master was going to train her and just wanted to know when she could achieve her powers, yet she knew that strength from the dark side didn't just come to those who chose to join it. They had to become one with it, fully embrace it and let it consume them so that they almost became an entirely different being, one of pure power in the force.

"You seem to be forgetting Annis you're a human. You're easy to damage and slow to heal, your reflexes and skills are limited yet your own desire and power drives you forward. In this process you will need all the strength you possess that way I'll know you are worthy to learn these powers" explained the dark lord thoroughly as she stared at him her eyes almost glowing from inside the dark shadows which the hood of her long black robe created. She had to question him the same thing after all he was the same species as her.

"Master but you're a human too are you not? How is it you survived your training?" asked Annis hoping he wouldn't cause her more pain for the personal nature of her question but he just shook his head slowly and stopped to regard to sun that was slowly sinking under the horizon, the darkness of night imminent at the end of the long day.

"No matter who we are my apprentice if we seek to use power we all gain it in the end, no matter what the dangers or the barriers. I would've expected you to realise that yourself" he spoke with knowledge tinged in his deep voice as he still did not turn to regard her but mainly gave the skyline his attention, waiting for her response but instead she walked slowly until she was standing beside him, both slender, powerful figures clad in long black robes watching the last moments of the day being whittled away. Eventually he broke the silence realising that she hadn't the courage to speak first and at his words she raised her head suddenly paying close attention. "Do you know the significance behind the pendant I gave you Annis?" said the dark lord quietly after a moment as a hint of malice dripped off the edge of his tone. At the mention of the gift she raised her hand and slipped it inside the robing around her neck and her fingers interlocked around the precious gem set in gold, feeling its harsh coldness brush her skin.

"No but its special I presume" said Annis after another breadth of silence knowing that he'd given it to her for a reason but couldn't place her finger on the sure conclusion. The dark lord sighed and shook his head slowly as she had no idea of the history and depth of power placed within that gem. As a possession he treasured it more than anything and hoped that she would treat it with the same respect as his other students did.

"You have no idea what lies within that rarity around your neck do you? You'll never know unless I explain. The history in that pendant almost goes deeper than the annuals of Sith history itself. What you are wearing was forged by our founder, to keep master and apprentice bound for the purposes of upbringing. What you are wearing has been worn by all before you, all dark lords have possessed this and now its fallen into my hands and hence why I am giving it to you as you know you are next in our linage to inherit this great power" said the dark lord sternly as he finally turned his gaze to her his yellow eyes burning in anticipation as she looked down at the pendant she had clutched in her hand. Her hand shook gently as she looked at the priceless, precious gem in her hands and suddenly her knees felt weak but she managed to stand. She was overwhelmed slightly as she felt the very core of the dark side calling to her from inside its blackened depths and smiled. She knew what power was contained within this specimen but to obtain it would be a very different matter. "Every dark lord left their memories entitled to their next successor. Every dark lord shall remain with you through your conquests apprentice. They shall witness your ever victory and they also witness your every failure, if you have any doubts in your mind look to the heart of what we have and you'll find the answer. Every being has a purpose Annis and you've found yours. Giving you this gift was all about timing Annis for if you were not ready for the dark side to fully claim you it would've taken your life. Now I see that you are ready to use its power for your own use. You are ready my apprentice" As the dark lord spoke these words he walked closer and closer to her. Utterly overwhelmed and breath taken she took a step back but he caught her slender wrist in his cold hand and tried to turn her palm upwards but using her strength she kept it down, a look of perplexing calculation on her face. "Show me your palm Annis" he commanded and the sith lord slowly yet cautiously turned over her hand to reveal the underside to him. He held her pale, youthful looking hand in his more aged one as he scanned the palm of her hand searching for answers. The sith apprentice's breath began to hitch in her lungs as nerves gripped her as her heart began to palpitate faster than expected as she began to panic. What was he looking for? Had he truly meant all he'd said to her or was he just looking for any kind of weakness he could scold her for? Chilling silence like icicles filled the room before he spoke as he looked at her knowing that he had made the correct choice. "Youthful and promising. The youngest I have ever trained. Don't you see Annis? You have an obvious advantage over the ones who failed to complete my training. The spirits on Korriban trust you, our order trusts you but most important of all Annis I trust you." Annis was so shocked that for a moment she couldn't find words to stay. They stayed stuck in her throat as nerves gripped her more viciously and mercilessly than ever before but she realised what he was saying. He was truly ready to accept her as an apprentice, ready and willing to train her, to make her earn the powers she would later gain for he would not give her a drop of his power as she would so learn. Finally Annis spoke after the dark lord's speech as she realised what was around her neck and how important it was not just to her master but to their all-important order. The pendant she was wearing would be her source of survival as well as her skills and she would honour and treasure it with all the power she could muster as that creation was the spinal cord, all the information and history of the Sith hung on a chain around her throat. If the Jedi were to gain such knowledge they could find a weakness in the Sith order but she would never let that happen even if it meant surrendering her life to protect the linage, her master and their sacredness of their order then so be it. Annis had never felt this wanted, this needed in all her life but she finally knew her purpose and what she wanted to achieve as she wanted to learn all he had to teach her, knew that her destiny was with the dark path. She fell down on her knees before her master and looked to the floor her heart still pounding but with more excitement than nerves as she felt the adrenaline and a sudden surge of power as the dark side coursed through her veins. Her master looked down upon her from where she knelt and outstretched a hand and placed it on the crown of her head feeling her raw power emanate from her skin and almost into the atmosphere around them. The potential she already possessed with the force and the darkside nearly made him think of her as a superior to him then let the thought drift away with the knowledge that he would never let her surpass his abilities.

"Forevermore and this day forward you shall be known as Darth Annis" spoke the dark lord his words resonating clearly around the open space as Annis stayed bowed her head lowered. For all her years of insolence she had finally come to know her place. His servant Darth Annis, his apprentice to shape, mould in body and mind to attune with the very strands and tendrils of the dark side.

"Thank you my master" said Annis her voice quavering slightly as she had been officially been ordained as a sith lord. She was already a sith technically but her rebellious acts against her master had caused her behaviour too early and she was never ready to become a dark lord. Yet she needed her master and trusted him more than anyone and therefore needed to learn from him as he was the only one whom could teach her.

"Rise Annis" commanded her master stiffly and slowly but strongly she lifted herself from her knees and stepped carefully on the ground below her before once again returning to his side but keeping her head lowered knowing that she was his and she would do anything he would ask of her. "You must rest my apprentice, tomorrow you face your destiny" spoke the dark lord smoothly as he turned on his heel and strode away from her leaving his apprentice alone to herself and her thoughts as his black robes trailed behind him as he drifted away. Officially bound to her master and puffing her chest in pride she strode in the opposite direction knowing that this would be the last night of sleep she would have for several days as she was truly tried and tested by her master. The ultimate test of strength, power and cruelty and she would prevail.


End file.
